


Somehow, Somewhere, We Heard You

by ConsequencesOrBlessings



Category: Outer Wilds (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, Everyone lives to the end, Gen, Hal Hornfels and Slate become urgent responders, Hornfels and crew somehow receive a message from across time and space, Multi, PC becomes incapacitated, PC has a name, PC saves everyone through brain transmissions, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:08:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25162144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConsequencesOrBlessings/pseuds/ConsequencesOrBlessings
Summary: Just reaching the near end of their relapsing journey, Onyx one day doesn't come back, and is essentially a sleeping brick, trapped in their own conscious. Hornfels receives a transmission from Onyx a mere week before their launch day, and its origins are of a different time. It's up to Hal and Hornfels to decrypt this message and understand what it tries to convey before it's too late.
Relationships: Hal/Player Character (Outer Wilds), Player Character & Hal (Outer Wilds)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

With the sun reeling overhead and the wind flowing through the trees, it seemed a perfect day to go over the pages of notes Onyx had prepared at hand. There was little left of the week before their first launch, and they needed to make sure that they wouldn’t spontaneously forget all of their training. Hal sat themself next to their life-long pal and peeked over Onyx’s shoulder.

“Ya got anything else better to do, Hal?” They murmured tiredly.

“Well, I’ve only ever been prepping the translator since last night, I think I deserve a break with a friend.” Hal gesticulated wildly and put their arm around Onyx.

“I think it’s better if I have some peace and quiet. Why don’t you check in with Hornfels about the conditions of our solar system or whatever?” Onyx pushed their face closer to the papers.

“Okay, but I’ll only do it if you get some sleep. You’ll need all of your energy for making sure the ship doesn’t fail you, you hear?” Hal got up from the ground, taking one last look at them.

“And wash your clothes too, stinkbrain, I nearly passed out from the stench.” Onyx teased, slipping a cheeky grin.

“Will do, buddy. See ya later.”

Onyx got up from where they were sitting and took a stroll around the village, silently acknowledging the residents that meandered outside. Perhaps they just needed a splash of cold water or a blast of arctic wind to keep themself alert. Or maybe they really did need a nap. Circling over to the launch area, Onyx slipped themself into the sleeping bag and dozed off, keeping all of their notes locked in their head forever.

* * *

Hal went back up to the observatory after letting their clothes dry out some, meeting up with Hornfels at their console.

“So, anything good? Anything bad? Don’t hold back on me, the hatchling must know, they’re so anxious for the big day!” Hal egged them on.

“Well, hold on a moment. I’m just trying to decipher these codes here, I’m almost done in fact.” They tracked their finger across the screen.

“Hornfels, I just wanna know the weather. Okay?” Hal frowned.

“Oh, oh, it’s very pleasant on this day. I’m certain it’ll be just as pleasant on Onyx’s launch. And, by the way, I need you to help me with one last thing, please?”

“Yes, my liege?” They shook their head playfully.

Hornfels rolled their eyes. “Gabbro has retrieved a great find from Giant’s Deep. A Nomai statue, in prime condition nonetheless! To think that this discovery might revolutionize our understanding of them is a thought I would most like to entertain.”

“What are we waiting for? Let’s get it!”

Hornfels called Gabbro over the radio to have them bring over the statue for prepping. Hal excitedly stood outside the entrance of the museum, clasping their hands together tight. Hauling the statue behind them with a rope, Gabbro came up around the bend with great pride, and with great struggle to boot.

“Hal, help!” They called out in annoyance. “I don’t wanna have to hoist another hunk of rock over to the museum here.”

“Ah, sorry. Coming!” Hal ran over to help Gabbro bring up the heavy statue.

Once the statue was in the atrium of the observatory, Gabbro uncloaked it for all to see. Hornfels nearly fainted at the sight, and hovered their hands around the head of it, a crazed smile stretched across their face.

“Excellent work, Gabbro! I’m so proud of you, look at this, so clear and detailed! It’s amazing!” They squeaked, holding back tears.

“Geez, when you put it like that, Felly, making it sound like I carved it myself.” Gabbro scoffed.

“I’m just so blown away by this miracle of a structure, I’m crying at it.” Hornfels sobbed.

“It was already wet enough when I fished it out of the ocean, it doesn’t need more saltwater on it. Now, let’s get this thing on the pedestal.” Gabbro patted Hornfels on the shoulder and gripped one side of the statue.

Hal grabbed the other side and vaulted it up onto the stump, proudly looking upon all who gaze at it. They couldn’t help but step back and admire it from afar, catching every crevice and complexity in its design.

“So this is a Nomai. To think that we only had shoddy paintings and broken pieces at first, but now, we completed the look. What now, Hornfels?” Hal mused.

The curator stepped in for a closer look, eyeing the bust in full.

“Oh, its eyes are closed. I can try to get them open somehow.”

They placed their thumbs over one of the statue’s three eyes and attempted to flip them open, being as gentle as can be. The stone wouldn’t budge, so they tried again, with more force this time around.

“Careful, Hornfels. You don’t want to break it or anything, I mean it’s ancient and probably really fragile.” Hal warned.

“I don’t think I can coax the statue to open its eyes either. Do you think it’s automatic?” They turned to Hal to ask.

“Well, judging by the stone of it, it seems to be of the same mineral fragment that Chert brought back from the Hourglass Twins. That’s the same stuff you said can hold information, right?”

“Yes, it is. I might have to spend some time cleaning it up, however, shouldn’t take too long. I do need to get back to the codes I received and figure those out. Gabbro, what are you going to do?” Hornfels glanced at the lanky traveler.

“Oh, me? Obviously I gotta get back there, to Giant’s Deep, and figure out this whole business with the statue. I think there’s a place on the same island that I found it on where I can learn more. So, yeah, if y’all need me, I’ll be singing a song live. Peace.” Gabbro ran back off to their ship and blasted away.

Hal remained uncertain of Gabbro’s ability to be resourceful, to believe that they could essentially solve a huge mystery all on their own. Nevertheless, they kept their doubts to a minimum, and thanked the stars it wasn’t someone like Riebeck to lead this inquisitive mission. Chert would’ve been more reliable in this case, in fact, Hal believed that Chert should be the one to lead all scientific theories, if only they weren’t Hornfels’ little go-getter.

Regardless, they spent the rest of the night analyzing the statue and making mental notes of all its intricacies. None without a fault, could they conclude this statue to contain, but it would’ve been nice to understand how it functioned.

* * *

“Hal! Hal, wake up!” Hornfels shook them awake. “I need you to come look at this.”

“Wha- What’s going on? Has the statue opened its eyes yet?”

“It’s not that, my console, the codes. I’ve figured it out, and you won’t believe what they contain!” The two of them walked up the steps to the observatory, over to the console.

Hornfels pointed at the screen aggressively, “Look at this! There is a whole web of information on my console, all of it regarding our solar system AND the Nomai. But that’s not it-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down here buddy. These were the codes that you ended up transcribing?” Hal looked at the screen in confusion. “I thought you were just talking about some stupid computer code or whatever.”

“I have spent my morning looking at each of these tabs, all of them complete with information that none of us could have ever known! And it all tracks down to a time in the future, more specifically, a week from now! I don’t get it, I don’t know what this could mean.” The curator lay a hand on their head, purely exhausted trying to make sense of it all.

“This looks like stuff from Onyx’s ship computer, all these images were taken by a scout, and it talks about our village. ‘Main source of explosions’, huh? Real funny there, pal.” Hal shook their head.

“Is this a prank? I mean, well, it does mention meeting with Chert, Riebeck, Gabbro, and… _FELDSPAR_! Feldspar is in Dark Bramble as we speak, and fully alive!” Hornfels took a moment to regather their thoughts as realization set in, mind riddled with anxiety.

“We gotta talk with Onyx here and see what their intentions are, they may be a bit cocky at times, but they’re no Gabbro-levels of prankster.”

Hal affirmed and walked with Hornfels over to the launch area, where Slate was sitting by the fire and Onyx was fast asleep. They shrugged at the engineer, who raised an eyebrow at their presence.

“Now what’s all this about? Why are we having a party all of a sudden?” Slate splayed their arms out confusedly.

“We’re here for Onyx, not you, Slate. Your work is done, for now.” Hornfels sneered.

“The hatchling is as still as a boulder, I don’t think you’re gonna shake them much.”

“They’ll wake.” Hal checked in on Onyx, who didn’t stir one bit. “Hey, buddy.”

Nothing.

“Are they… dead?” Slate craned their neck over to see.

Hal pressed their ear to Onyx’s chest, and checked their pulse. Their heart was beating fast and strong, their breath powerful.

“Nope, this is probably the healthiest Hearthian we’ve had yet. Good and strong.” Hal smiled affectionately.

“Then what in Hearth’s name is wrong with them? Hold on, lemme get over there.” Slate bounced up from the log and kneeled down to Onyx, checking them all over. Slate seemed to mutter something to themself.

“What’s the case, chief?” Hal quipped.

“It looks to be a coma of sorts… What happened to you, hatchling?” Slate gazed upon the young one with forlorn concern.

Hornfels furrowed their eyebrows, a hand on their chin. Their mind wandered back to the web, how it had Onyx’s name all over it. They ran over to the lift and went up to the ship to check its computer, leaving everyone else to ponder their motivation. The golden metal wires glowed blue, and with hesitation, Hornfels started up the system.

The screen opened up to the rumor mode right off the bat, and the nodes popped up one at a time, connected together by common threads. In just a few short moments, the entirety of the rumor map had been filled out, all containing every mystery solved in just mere sentences. Their eyes widened large and glassy, and ran out of the ship and down the lift.

“Hal, come with me right now. Slate, look after Onyx for us.”

“Will do, Horn. I hope you know what you’re doing.” Slate nodded succinctly.

“What did you find?” Inquired Hal.

“The ship’s computer _is_ the exact same as the transmission I received. We need to look them over and learn from it. Perhaps it might have the answer we need to help Onyx.” Hornfels jogged over to the observatory along with Hal.

Returning right back up to the top of the observatory, Hal and Hornfels started immediately on parsing the notes that Onyx apparently sent them.

* * *

“Okay, so where do we start from here? Do we go with the big orange one, or the tantalizing red tab with the picture of a ginormous ship?” Hal questioned.

“Let’s get ourselves invested first. Ooo, the Quantum Moon, let’s do that one! Chert has talked about it before on their escapades.” Hornfels chattered excitedly.

“Ah, of course, go with the one with the most intrigue, and not the probable most crucial parts first.” Hal rolled their eyes.

“Investment, Hal, investment!” Hornfels emphasized with great motion.

Perusing through the ‘Quantum Moon’ node, they found out that one can land on it, and that it is the Eye of the universe’s moon, whatever that meant. Right next to it was a tab noted ‘Sixth Location’, it stated that Onyx had found a _living_ Nomai at the south pole of the moon!

“Ppbbph, what?! A Nomai?! Alive! This is unheard of, how could this be possible?” Hornfels sputtered.

“What has this dude been doin’ all this time? You think that they might have snuck off-planet without anyone noticing?” Hal scratched their head.

“Not in a million years, they couldn’t have. They don’t have the launch codes, nor the lack of supervision to allow them to fly off.”

Hornfels scrolled down from the purple nodes to the red tabs, clicking on the one called ‘The Vessel’.

“A ship abandoned in Dark Bramble, with a dysfunctional warp core, and a control panel for coordinate input.” They leaned in to look at the last bits of text. “-The Vessel can still hear incoming messages from other Nomai vessels. The remaining Nomai clans are regrouping in response to the impending death of the universe...-”

Hal slumped down at the sound of it- the death of the universe- and leaned on the desk of the console, shaking their head. Hornfels tried to comfort Hal and wrapped an arm around them.

“Horn, is that true?” Hal bargained.

“Uh, hold on- The star charts! The ones I grabbed an image of, I always thought they were odd from a scientific point of view… But I didn’t think it was that serious, or perhaps I’m just blind and dense.” The curator began their doubts, wistfully eyeing the picture.

“Hey, I think you might wanna call in the folks and bring them back home. It’s only fair that they aren’t alone at the end of it all.” Hal suggested. “I’ll keep looking through the logs for a sign.”

Hornfels went over to the radio and turned the dial to Gabbro’s station, calling them in.

“Hey, I know you probably have been on Giant’s Deep for a while now, but we need to call you back to Timber Hearth.”

“ _Whoa, what now? Did something happen over there, or is it just another false alarm?_ ” Gabbro responded.

“I’ll talk to you about it when you get here, but it’s urgent, and everyone will be here too.”

“ _Alright Felly, you’re the boss. See you soon._ ”

“Safe travels, friend.”

Hornfels moved onto Riebeck next, letting them know about the urgent matters, and giving them the time to process it before heading off. Then finally, Chert. Hornfels decided to come clean about the universe to them, and them only. Chert sounded very distressed, blabbering over the radio about how they just got to Ember Twin and was ready to set up their observations.

“ _No point in it, Hornfels. I wish you could have told me sooner, wouldn’t have spent so much time on nothing! NOTHING!_ ” Chert grumbled.

“Well, you know why I couldn’t have, I didn’t know any better. Just please come back to the village, Chert.” They pleaded.

“ _Yeah, I’m coming. It’s just that I was so close to solving a mystery here, and you broke the flow._ ” A clanking of supplies could be heard in the background. “ _Have you ever thought how Feldspar would have reacted? I bet it wouldn’t look pretty, that’s for sure. But, I also like to think they might’ve had a plan of sorts, a kind of miracle if they did._ ” Chert sighed.

“I’m certain it would be a wonderful plan, if not wholly reckless and unaligned. However, we can’t rely on them anymore to do the things we wouldn’t dare touch with a whole pine.”

“ _What about the new astronaut you’re always hyping up? Think they have any trace of Feldspar’s determination?_ ” Chert asked before blasting off.

“Onyx is…” Hornfels paused. “Stubborn, to say the least. But, if training with Gossan proves anything, it’s that they don’t ever seem to break easily. We can trust them in space.”

“ _They sound like a good, strong hatchling. I’d trust them. Anyhow, I’ll see you on Timber. Farewell, Hornfels._ ”

“Right on.” They smiled weakly.


	2. Chapter 2

One by one, the travelers’ ships entered the atmosphere, landing on the edges of the village crater, all climbing down to the bottom and making their way up to the observatory. They took their helmets off and gathered around the orrery.

“So, what’s the big surprise? I hope it’s good.” Gabbro exclaimed.

“Fellas, I’m afraid our world is on its last legs, not just the world itself, but the entire universe. It appears that our very universe is dying, and it’s dying quicker than ever. I’m not sure what to do from here, except gather here today and think.” Hornfels announced solemnly.

“Yeah, wasn’t as hopeful as I thought it would be. I’m sorry, I just can’t imagine how anyone would deal with a situation like this. I mean, come on, a one in a million case scenario. No one is prepared for this.” Gabbro argued.

“I knew it had to be bad as soon as I heard their tired voice. It’s not often that you get to associate Hornfels with exhaustion.” Riebeck added. “What about you, Chert?”

Chert distanced themself from the rest of the group, staring at Hornfels’ notes.

“Makes sense. Still don’t know why I left to do this stuff. Guess it was because Hornfels said so.”

“Chert?” Hornfels tried to approach them.

“I- I’m just trying to understand it, okay? To think that we just started to dip our toes in the vast lakes of the solar system, only to find out it was lava, was not how I expected our future to be.” They stuttered.

“Chert, I’m sorry, I really am-” Hornfels was suddenly interrupted by Hal.

“Hornfels, come here a sec. We gotta talk about this real quick.”

“What is it?” They inquired.

“So, I’ve been scrolling through this computer for a good thirty minutes, and I’ve learned a lot from it.” Hal whispered excitedly.

“Yeah? Lay it on me.” Hornfels strolled over to the console.

“There’s this thing, the Vessel, it’s what the Nomai came here in. So this confirms one thing, that they’re extraterrestrial. On the other hand, the Vessel still presents itself as somewhat functional, if only it weren’t for the broken warp core. You know, like the one we found and used for the scouts?” They continued.

“It’s in Dark Bramble, same place as Feldspar. That’s more than convenient enough to pick them up while scouting this ship.” Hornfels sighed.

“Well… Onyx actually noted a strange thing about them. They seem a bit disinterested in returning to the village. What do we do about that?”

“I don’t think there is a point in leaving them there, regardless of what they think about us or the village. They can be as hard-headed as they want, but they can’t live in that dastardly bunch of thorny coils forever.” Hornfels said in determination.

“Right, of course. Anyway, moving on quickly because our time is fading, there’s this thing called the Ash Twin Project. It’s supposedly meant to house a twenty-two minute time loop for the sole purpose of finding the Eye of the universe. What is this thing though? Did the Nomai ever know?”

Hornfels looked down at the lone gray tabs at the bottom right corner of the screen.

“I don’t think they were fortunate enough to find out quite yet. We could do it, however, we can do it for them.” They turned their sights to Hal. “But we mustn't be slow about it. We have no idea when the universe will truly fade into obscurity, but we also can’t let Outer Wilds Ventures meet the same fate.”

Gabbro stepped in for affirmation, “Hey, I like the sound of that, I’ll admit. Say, what if we acted right now, just use the computer information to formulate a whopping grand scheme. Hold on.” They scooched Hornfels out of the way to get at the console. “See here? We can put two and two together and get the four we need. If you take the advanced warp core from Ash Twin and put it where it’s needed, for example the Vessel, then you’ll be able to finish what the kid started. And the Nomai too, I guess.”

Riebeck piped up as well, “And Feldspar will be right along the way, just go over and pick them up! At least, I think it would be that simple, but it _is_ Dark Bramble we’re talking about here. Navigation will be tough, the fog will be dense, and we will probably all be scared to death. Me, especially.”

Hornfels smiled confidently as countless thoughts raced through their head, picking and choosing certain points that seemed safest and efficient overall. As the plan coalesced, they spoke aloud in order to better streamline it.

“So, first of all, one of you needs to get to the center of Ash Twin. How that is managed is up to you, unless further information has been uncovered through the logs, then I’ll tell you specifically. Secondly, evacuation is necessary, mainly through splitting the population into your ships, we’ll catch Feldspar along the way. And that brings up to our last step, get to the Vessel and activate it. From there, I assume our lives will be saved.” They concluded.

“I can get the core, Hornfels.” Chert announced. “I know the Twins better than anyone here.”

“Thank you Chert, we commend you. I might be able to develop a copy of the ship log for you to reference, just in case.” Hornfels assured with full support.

Chert nodded thankfully and left the observatory to their ship.

“Right then, I’ll go bug Slate about the hatchling then. Just to get things acquainted with them, and you know, be helpful. It’s great, it’s honestly great, I can’t wait to watch the end of the universe with the village.” Gabbro followed suit and made their way downstairs, “It’ll be just like my dreams!”

Riebeck nervously chuckled at their remark and fidgeted with their hands, rocking back and forth.

“Well, I’m last! Heh heh, ehhh… I’ll go- I’ll gather the villagers and take them up to the ships. Yep, going rock climbing, with everybody we know, love it. Uh, yeah, bye.” They ran off in slight embarrassment.

“So that leaves us two. We might as well finish up the logs, and you need to send a copy to all the travelers, actually. They might really benefit from it in the case any one of us fails.” Hal suggested.

Hornfels nodded slowly, keeping that in the back of their head as they finished up gathering the last bits of information in Onyx’s ship log.

* * *

Gabbro trotted down the winding pathway to the campsite, where Slate and Onyx both rested. They put on a chipper, yet mischievous grin as they approached them.

“What is it, Gabbro? I feel like you’ve got something big to say.” Slate grumbled.

“Oh, it’s my face, nothing wrong with it or anything.” Their smile grew. “But, I do think that the team could benefit from your _extensive_ knowledge of engineering.”

“In what way, you bozo?” Slate made a doubtful face.

“Such as core installation, coordinate input... you know, the works. That’s what you’re good at, right?” Gabbro nudged them on the shoulder.

“I mean, suuuure. It’s a little generous thinking that I do all the work around here, well, sort of. Hornfels will always be the more technical one here, that’s why they’re the de facto leader of the space program. I’m just here for some gear shifting, and the benefits that come with, too.” Slate chuckled knowingly.

Onyx twitched in their sleep, jerking around with determination and gritted teeth. Slate rushed by their side immediately and tried to soothe them.

“Whoa, relax kid. It’s gonna be fine, we’re all going to be okay.”

“Mmhm, gotta finish the mission…” Onyx mumbled.

“Have they… been talking in their ‘coma’ like this?” Asked Gabbro as they tilted their head.

“Yeah, for a good few hours now. Sometimes they try to wake up, and it doesn’t work. They’ve gone as far as to fight themself over it, seriously, you should see it. I hate to laugh at it.” Slate scoffed.

“I’m glad to see they’re still kicking, and that you prove yourself to be rather kind after all.”

“Only in emergencies, buddy. I don’t owe anyone much gratitude unless they’ve helped me personally, it’s the only way I can stand my peers.” The engineer flopped back onto the log and sighed.

“Well, at least you’re honest? Listen, I don’t personally condone being a jerk to others-”

“You don’t?” Slate blurted out.

“Ahem! But at least I know a thing or two about making myself more accessible.” Gabbro rolled their eyes.

“It’s not like I _don’t_ try, I can be patient, but sometimes y’all piss me off.”

“Ah, I see. Once again, I applaud the gratuitous use of honesty, a very valuable virtue.” They clapped for effect.

“Agh, whatever. I’m just waiting for the cue from Hornfels, and I was minding my business before you slunk into here.”

“Yeah, that’s enough of that, I suppose. It’s fine really, just be more conscious of how you come off to other people.” Gabbro took a seat next to Slate.

Slate snorted, “Don’t worry, it’s on my bucket list.”

* * *

“Okay everyone, I need you all to make your way out of the crater immediately. This is an emergency!” Riebeck announced to the village, cupping their hands over their mouth.

Various Hearthians gathered around the traveler, who stood on top of a boarded geyser. Many squinted their eyes in confusion or distrust in what exactly was going on here. Finally, Rutile got up from their chair and went over to see what all the commotion was about.

“Alright, alright, what’s all this here?” They grumbled.

“Oh, uh, Mayor Rutile. Sorry I have to do this, but it really is an emergency, we all have to evacuate!” Riebeck warned in urgency. “We will die if we don’t!” They quickly bit down on their finger in regret of that statement.

Rutile tilted their head and narrowed their eyes, “Die of what? There’s nothing here to harm us, we’re just minding our business for as long as the rockets don’t come crashing down.”

“Okay, this will sound crazy, and I probably should have brought in Hornfels to back me up, but they got a transmission from what is essentially the future. It provided them with knowledge of the solar system that none of us could’ve known better of, and it does mention that our universe… is dying. And we’re thinking of an elaborate plan as we go, so we need you all to do your part and listen to us!” They smiled nervously, waiting for a response.

“No offense, Riebeck,” Rutile scoffed. “But did you hit your head on the way down here? There’s no way this can be one hundred percent truthful, if anything, I might as well say that you’re a fibber for this.”

“Fine, you and I can go up to the observatory and see it firsthand. Hornfels will have more than enough to convince you, if you want to listen…” They trailed off meekly.

The mayor gestured a hand toward the observatory, “Lead the way then.”

Climbing up the ramp to the observatory, Riebeck peeked their head above and called to Hornfels.

“Hey, uh, sorry to bother you. We have a bit of a problem here.” They whispered.

“What is it?” Hornfels bent down to talk to them.

“See for yourself.” Riebeck moved out of the way to let Rutile through.

“Oh, Mayor Rutile! A pleasure to see you, as always. What can I help you with today?” They clasped their hands together.

“Apparently this one says you’ve obtained unobtainable knowledge. Care to elaborate on what in the heck is going on here?” Rutile crossed their arms.

Hornfels composed themself and guided the mayor over to the console.

“This is what we mean by, uh, knowledge here. It’s Onyx’s ship log, from a week later, and it has been completely filled out with information about the Nomai and the solar system. It all seems so plausible that I can’t help but believe it, not to mention that Onyx themself has fallen into a coma of sorts.”

The mayor leaned in to look at the screen, squinting their eyes hard. They pulled back slowly and looked at Hornfels, laying a hand on their shoulder.

“Listen, uh, I just wanna apologize for being a bit snappy there. I really thought y’all were trying to cause a ruckus and mayhem and all that. I don’t know what to say really, and as for Onyx, I hope they recover soon. Me and Riebeck here, we’ll do our best to wrangle up the village.” Rutile nodded their head approvingly and patted them on the hand.

Riebeck and the mayor left the observatory and went back down to the village, confirming the state of their world with everyone. All hopes of this just being a cruel prank faded from the citizens’ eyes, and they tuned in carefully to listen to any direction given for escape.

“So, like I had said before, we need to consider leaving our homes behind. I suggest you all bring food, water, clothes, and the like. Pack your bags full, cause no one knows how long this trip will be. Everyone needs to compartmentalize themselves into a ship of your choice, Chert will be back soon enough to add to the roster, but for now, they’re focused on the Ash Twin. Now, move it! Please?” Riebeck called out to all.

“All will be well, young’un, and everything will be secure. I just hope y’all have a plan.” Rutile chattered nervously.

“Mhm, totally.”


	3. Chapter 3

Chert settled their ship on the north pole of Ash Twin, far from any chance of having their ship swept away by the sand pillar. Booting up their computer, they found files sent in from Hornfels, the logs of notes from before. They looked at the Ash Twin Project tab, searching for any clues of how to access it.

“Inside the planet, but how? Did I bring a shovel?” They scanned the interior of their ship for any item that remotely resembled a spade. “Damn it, can’t be that easy, huh? Always gotta find an alternative here, always.”

Trailing the arrow pointing towards the project, Chert happened upon a tab labeled ‘Black Hole Forge’ and at its corner, the Ash Twin Alignment Map. That seemed important enough to research, so they clicked on it to invest.

The tab seemed telling enough, just mainly about how each of the warp towers must align with their corresponding astral body to travel there. And, the Hourglass Twins are oddly considered one body, but it made sense with how little space in between could separate them.

“Now, uh, what the hell is a warp tower?” Chert mused. “Ohp, nevermind, here it is!”

They nodded affirmatively after looking over it once, and headed out the ship towards the equator.

Waddling through dunes of sand, they reached the bridge and walked along it, counting off the towers in chronological order. The sun, Hourglass Twins, Timber Hearth, Brittle Hollow, and Giant’s Deep, but all they needed were the twins. Hopping inside the shattered tower, they huddled themself under the lip of the alcove, waiting for the sand to pass overhead. Once aligned, Chert mindlessly stepped onto the pad, completely unprepared for what they were exactly doing.

It was just about a blink and you miss it moment, but they soon found themself in a huge, gyrating chamber, presumably at the center of Ash Twin. Chert cackled wildly at this discovery, jumping for joy and pointing out all the little details within.

“Hey, wait a sec, ain’t that our ore from Timber Hearth? Clever, very clever, you... Nomai.” Chert scoffed at the sight and walked up the spinning corridor, delicately grazing the walls with their gloved hand. “Yep, wish I had better equipment right now, would love to read all this.”

At its terminus were two tubes, one with a label, and one that reached nearly to the core. They focused their attention on the smaller tube, watching the marble follow their gaze all the way to the top. The path slowed down exponentially to a sudden halt, making Chert lurch forward and up, drifting away from the ground.

“GAH, okay, okay, don’t panic. You just turned off the artificial gravity, is all. All you need to do is move the marble back.” Chert rambled anxiously as they used their jetpack to maneuver over to the tube. They slotted the ball back down and let the ground sweep back under their feet again.

“Okay, duly noted, this thing turns off gravity. Lovely.”

They turned their gaze over to the taller cylinder and followed it to the ground, where the ball sat still. They moved it up to the base and stopped as soon as two rings appeared next to it. Chert flickered their eyes back and forth between the two objects of interest, making the marble jump up and down every time they lost sight of it.

Chert smiled goofily and chuckled, “Alright, that’s enough. Back to work, I suppose.”

They jumped and carried the marble to the top, exposing the grand warp core within its casket. Their eyes widened and rushed over to the gravity control to switch it off. Launching forward with the strength of their legs, Chert closed in on the large, blocky conduit, hovering just a few inches away from the warp core. Gosh, how they admired its simple, yet effective design. How it carefully cornered miniature black and white holes in each glass case.

Chert gripped onto it with both hands, and yanked it out of the circuit. The room went dark and cold, leaving only the warp pad and Hearthian ore to illuminate the chamber’s path.

“Shiiiit… I don’t like this result, not one bit.” Their breathing quickened, “I need to leave immediately!”

* * *

Slate turned their head at the sound of footsteps, unwarranted footsteps. Hornfels appeared from out of the dark, slipping into the warm light of the campfire.

“On Hearth, don’t scare me like that!” Slate grabbed their chest.

“So, is everything holding up here? How’s Onyx?” The curator asked as they sat down.

Slate scooted away from Hornfels, keeping wary of their intentions.

“Eh, well, Onyx is still passed out like a light. Gabbro swung by earlier today to spout some of their usual bullshit. Same old, same old.”

“That’s nice.” Hornfels smiled.

“I don’t trust your vibe right now. What’re you trying to do this time?” Slate sneered.

They sighed, “If you don’t mind, I would like for you and Gossan to fix the village some spacesuits. Should be easy and quick, you two are efficient like that.”

“Oh no, Horn. Ain’t no way you trying to pair me up with Gossan!” Slate sprang up from their log, crossing their arms.

“Slate, we don’t have a choice!” Hornfels pleaded, “I’m not gonna let you reject this order just because you and Gossan can’t function as a unit. You’re both talented workers who have helped the team tremendously!”

“Maybe individually, but as partners? Fuck that, I can’t do this.”

“Calm down, it’s not the end of the world if you two work together this last time. I mean, literally!” Hornfels grinned, splaying their arms out jovially. “You won’t have to even look at each other once this is over with, just please work with me here.”

Slate rubbed their face in annoyance, “I… I’ll get back to you on that.”

“So, I’m taking that as a yes then, right?”

“Sure-”

A blaring noise came from the radio on Hornfels’ belt, wailing feedback piercing their ears. A distinct yell came from the other end, Chert.

“Chert? Come in, Chert!” Hornfels answered.

“ _I HAVE THE CORE! THE CORE IS IN MY HANDS! AAAAAAAA-_ ” They screamed in desperation.

“Okay! Great! Please lower your voice, you’re blasting my ears out.” Hornfels winced.

“The hell is happening over there?” Slate interjected.

“They have the core.” Hornfels said bluntly.

“Yeah, as in warp core?” They leaned in.

“Sure is, buddy.”

The radio came back in full blast, screeching. “ _GAAAAH! WHAT DO I DO?!_ ”

“Breathe deep, Chert, and come straight home, you hear?” Hornfels reassured them.

“ _Okay, okay, I got this- Everything’s going to be fine._ ” Chert eased.

“Yep, just keep on flying, we’ll watch for you.” They switched off the radio.

Slate leaned against the old pine, trying to collect themself. “We’re really doing this, huh? We’re gonna escape death for the last time?”

“When you put it like that, yeah, we are.” Hornfels stared into the fire.

“It’s not like there’s any other way to interpret it, Horn. Onyx is gonna make a name for themself, you know that? They’re gonna be like the great Feldspar.” Slate smiled endearingly at the young Hearthian, just so slightly letting their guard down.

“Is that so?” Hornfels teased.

“What? Do you not believe in them? The kid just saved us all with their notes, of course I’m going to hold them to a high regard!” The engineer justified.

“I believe in them, alright, just didn’t think you cared that much…”

Slate froze and closed their eyes, “Heh, don’t think of me like that, Hornfels. Come on now, I try, I just get a little stuck sometimes.” They huffed. “I see what you’re trying to do here, getting me all soft and shit. Listen, this ain’t about me no more, we have a goal to pursue, a job to do. Damn it, I might as well do what I’m told.”

“Where are you going?” Hornfels twisted their body to follow Slate.

“Gonna make suits- You proud of me yet?”

“Buddy, I’ve been proud of you since day one. Now go on, get, we need them good and strong.”

* * *

Slamming their ship on the cliff, Chert burst out with the warp core tucked snugly under their arm. They hopped down the rocks and immediately dashed towards Hornfels, giggling elatedly.

“Look what I did! Look at this ARTIFACT!”

“I see that, good job Chert.” Hornfels took the core from them, analyzing closely.

“Is everybody gone? I wasn’t exactly paying attention when I landed.” Chert looked back at their ship, nervously chortling.

“They’re huddled around the travelers’ ships, all waiting to get their suits. Say, got some room in your ship for a few extra passengers?”

“Sure do! Need me to take y’all too?” Chert clasped their hands together.

“No thanks. Gossan, Slate, Hal, and myself will be taking Onyx’s ship. Onyx will be on there too, just asleep though.” Hornfels assured.

“Wait, what’s up with Onyx? Too tired or something?”

“It’s a long story, but they’re relatively fine. Nothing to get up in arms about.”

“I understand, I’ll gather my lot. See ya at our destination, Hornfels.” Chert patted them on the knee.

“You too, friend.”

Over by the campfire site, Hal sat by their resting friend, watching over them.

“Golly, can you just imagine it? You and I, working together, at our new home? Something I can only dream of, granted we live to see it. Our world’s gonna be flipped on its head, but at least we’ll be thinking right side up.” Hal shook their head. “I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore, but at least you’re not judging me. You’re just… not here right now.”

Hal wasn’t sure if Onyx could actually hear them, perhaps they were just silently judging them from beyond. Whatever the case, at least they allowed themself to have a moment with Onyx, even if they are unconscious. Hal intertwined their fingers with Onyx’s, letting that moment simmer. Doesn’t hurt to indulge in silence after all.

“Can’t wait to relay it to you when we get there, that is, if you ever wake up again. Please, promise me you’ll wake up, we miss you… I miss you.” Hal got choked up, tears pricking at their eyes.

Hornfels, Gossan, and Slate came around the bend, suits in hand. Hal flinched and pulled away from the sleeping Onyx, standing up straight and wiping their eyes.

“Is it time?” Hal inquired. “We gonna- go to space? Oh stars above, I’m not ready.” They blushed.

Slate gave a half grin, “At least we’re going out in style. Here ya go kid, a suit of your own.”

Hal hesitantly grabbed the suit from Slate, basking in its radiance. “Wow, thanks, I’ll wear it till I die.”

“Hey now, ain’t nothing to gush over. Just put it on.” Slate scoffed.

“I am, I am, chill a moment.” Hal hastily slipped on the suit and twisted on the helmet.

“And here’s your jetpack, buddy, use it wisely. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough time to teach the entire village how to use one.” Gossan expressed in disappointment.

“Wait, what about Onyx? We have to get them fitted too!” Hal urged.

“No worries, it’s in the ship already.” Slate jutted a thumb to it. “We gotta go now, Gossan’s gonna fly and I don’t wanna have to think about it too hard.”

Gossan hit them on the shoulder in objection, “I’m plenty qualified to fly, thank you very much. Sorry we can’t all be Feldspar in the height of danger. Just don’t touch anything while we’re off.” They grumbled and made their way to the lift.

“Why I oughta-” Slate started.

“Slate… Cool it.” Hornfels stopped them before they could cause a ruckus.

All five of them, Onyx included in the arms of Hornfels, took the lift up to the ship. Once inside, Hal struggled to put the suit on Onyx, having their body flop all over the place like a ragdoll.

“Gah, it’s like having to stuff a corpse into a satchel. Geez, buddy, mind cooperating with me?”

“There’s no point in having to argue with one, Hal. Just do it limb by limb.” Gossan noted, taking their seat in the cockpit.

“I’m _trying_!” Hal yelled through gritted teeth. “Just gotta push your fat noggin through the top.”

“Shit, Hal, don’t give them more brain damage.” Slate burst out laughing. “Need help?”

“Oh, no, as you can see, I’m well off on my own.” Hal smiled politely, stuffing Onyx’s head into a helmet. “See? All good!”

“Uh,” Slate tilted their head, “You sure?”

“Would you all quit hollering back there? I can’t concentrate when I have two idiots squabbling like banshees in my ear. Slate, keep an eye on the reactor, I don’t want it overstressing itself here.” Gossan snapped.

“Hmm? Oh fine, just for you, boss.” Slate waved their hands mockingly.

Gossan ignored their sass and revved up the engines. They switched on the radio to the Outer Wilds Ventures frequency and sent an outgoing announcement to all ships.

“Everyone, I need y’all to get to hovering, we’re ready for take-off.”


	4. Chapter 4

Hal started up the ship’s computer and honed in on the Vessel, marking it on the HUD for Gossan to track. Gossan tuned back in on the radio, “All ships follow in my wake, mark your trajectory for Dark Bramble. No objections, you hear?”

A few groans could be heard from other pilots over the static.

“Hey, what’d I say?”

Hornfels leaned over to give Gossan a tip, “Listen, when you enter Dark Bramble’s chambers, I need you to be real quiet. The anglerfish in there get antsy when loud sounds are triggered, so you gotta be light on the thrusters, m’kay?”

“Sure thing, Hornfels. Alright everyone, please tone it down in Dark Bramble, the critters in there are hostile and they hate you. Don’t get overzealous with the fuel, copy?” Gossan warned.

“ _Copy_.” The travelers agreed.

Lining up their position, Gossan gently guided the ship through Dark Bramble’s entrance, letting the fog consume them whole.

“Fuuuck…” They hissed under their breath. “You sure about this, Hornfels?”

Hornfels nodded slowly, “Positive. Hey, uh, mind passing over the radio?”

Gossan handed them the mic and Hornfels tuned to Gabbro’s feed.

“Gabbro, friend, be a brave one and catch Feldspar, will ya? Just mark it on your computer and fly towards their camp, they’ll be sitting right there in the anglerfish skeleton.”

“ _Wait, Felly, I got kids on board. I don’t know if they’ll be able to handle Feldspar’s greatness right next to them._ ” They joked.

“I’m positive they’ll live, Gabbro. Just pop on over there, and come right back.”

“ _Alright, if you say so. I’ll make sure to get a picture of it, for luck._ ” Gabbro gave the thumbs up and headed in the camp’s direction.

Pressing lightly on the trigger, Gabbro drifted towards the seed pod, focusing intently on all of their surroundings. When they passed through it, they were confronted with three distinct signals, all containing Feldspar’s whereabouts.

“Say, what do you all think?” Gabbro swiveled around to ask the hatchlings.

“Think what, Gabbro?” Arkose blinked.

“Wait, hold on, I wanna help.” Morraine shoved Arkose out of the way and brought out their signalscope. “We’re looking for Feldspar, right? I can hear their harmonica at three points. Why not go to the farthest one?”

“Yeah, cuz, you- uh, you go to the one that you don’t usually think about!” Tephra added joyfully. “It’s like Opposite Day, you know?”

“Right on, little buddy. I’ll set a course for the far one on the right, does that sound good?” Gabbro smiled.

“Yeah!” Arkose raised their arms in victory.

Gabbro swerved over to the far right, keeping quiet on the engines along the way. The cluster of hatchlings huddled together in anticipation with hushed voices and giggles. Passing through the final seed pod, Gabbro went full speed ahead towards the lone light in the middle. Coming up to the ship was a huge anglerfish skeleton, the mere sight of it frightening the little ones, yelps of shock peeping out from them.

Gabbro felt a bead of sweat run down their forehead, their grip tightening on the handles. They slowed the ship down to a halt, matching velocity in the vast darkness.

“Alright kiddos, hold on tight, I’ll be right back.” Gabbro popped out of the ship and jetted over to the dim glow of a fire.

Feldspar nearly did a double take when they saw the lanky astronaut floating over to them, gently settling down on the ground before them.

“What the hell? Gabbro? How’d you find me?” They quizzed anxiously.

“Kids, mainly. Listen, buddy, glad to see you’re alive and all, but you need to come with me.” Gabbro insisted.

“Now hold on here, why do I gotta listen to you, bucko?” Feldspar objected.

“Because you’ll die here if you don’t, and Outer Wilds Ventures needs you, badly. We need the Feldspar of yore to join us on our last voyage across the universe, before we lose the universe. You get what I’m saying?”

“Quite frankly, uh, no. But why me? Is it not enough to just leave me be for a moment?” They huffed.

“No, it’s not enough, in fact, you’ve had more than a moment to reflect on your life choices. Feldspar, it’s been years since anyone has heard from you, and we were all worried sick. Now we just think you’re dead.” Gabbro placed their hands on their hips. “Well, we did until recently.”

“Those bastards,” Feldspar mumbled, “Years, huh? Perhaps that was the intention, but I have nothing else to do, nothing to say really. Shit, why not?”

They offered a hand out for Gabbro to shake, and was met with a sweeping embrace.

“OKAY, OKAY, put me down, ya goof!” Feldspar yelped.

“Heh, it’s all good, Sparse. Glad to have you back on the team again.”

* * *

“I hope Gabbro is safe…” Hornfels worried.

“Well, you know them, always doing what they please. You gotta lot of guts to ask them to fetch Feldspar, you know that?” Hal countered.

“I just don’t want to have to wait too long for them to rejoin the squadron, we are losing precious time here.” They panicked.

The radio squawked with Gabbro’s voice as they called out, “ _Hey, hey, guess who?_ ”

Hornfels scrambled over to respond, “Was the mission successful? Are you okay?”

“ _Listen for yourself._ ” A distinct voice came over the feed. “ _How ya doing Hornfels, you burnt marshmallow you? Been forever, hasn’t it?_ ”

Hornfels started to get emotional at the sound of their voice, “I’m good, Gossan is here too. Wanna talk to them?”

“ _Wanna talk to them? Who do you think I am, of course! Put them on._ ” Feldspar enthused.

Gossan smirked and took the mic, “How was life in the Bramble, ya old knucklehead? Anything interesting come up?”

“ _Aside from crashing, some feisty anglerfish, and the whole place generally not making any sense, it’s okay. Nothing too special about it._ ”

“Only you would say that, Feldspar, only you. Welp, we’re gonna be leaving soon anyway, glad to see you’re still kicking. Talk to you later, fishbrain.” Gossan nodded affirmatively.

“ _You too, Gassy._ ”

The fleet of ships continued on their perilous flight throughout the Dark Bramble, thrusters repelling clouds of fog with every push. Gossan led the way to the red node, cautiously awaiting the mass of lights in its hull. They pushed through and let the ship drift past three enormous anglerfish, quietly snoozing in the empty space.

Feldspar kept their eyes plastered wide open, gripping Gabbro’s shoulder.

“Hot damn, this entire place is just a breeding ground for malice, ain’t it? Disgusting.”

“Mhm.” Gabbro noted succinctly, frozen with fear.

The children stuck together like glue, shivering in fear at the large, scary monsters next to them. Feldspar peered at them and knelt down to chat.

“Whatcha so afraid of? A bunch of fish? We catch those on the daily in the rivers, they ain’t got nothing on us.”

“They’re very big and scary, I don’t like them.” Tephra whimpered.

“Yeah, but they can’t even see ya. They’re blind as rocks; big, ugly, smelly things. All they do is float around and act like they’re hot stuff. Anglerfish are just a bunch of wimps who get startled by loud noises.” Feldspar jested lightly.

“They’re stupid…” Galena mumbled.

“Yep, ain’t got no brains in there. You all, you’re smart, or at least smart enough. They certainly can’t beat you in a game of hide and seek.”

“I’m the smartest! I know everything in the world!” Tephra grinned.

Feldspar patted them on the head, “Sure you are, kid, sure thing.”

Once far enough away, Gossan pushed forward towards a dim seed covered by branches. They could hear an anglerfish snore at least four hundred meters away from them, so they lightly tapped the trigger to move out of the way of the branch.

“Careful here, critter on your nine. Stay quiet.” They called out on the radio.

“ _Copy that._ ”

The armada of ships silently glided to the small entrance of the seed pod, ever so slightly pushing into its bright chamber. Gossan checked to see if everyone was with them before advancing to the old Vessel.

There it was, grand and ancient, a testament to the will of time, now just nothing but a reminder of burden. But this was their last hope, and damn if they weren’t going to take this chance.

“Coast is clear, folks, we made it. Fucking hell, we did it...” Gossan exclaimed.

“This piece of history is vastly unprecedented, and still in working shape. What a sight to behold.” Hornfels gasped.

“So, we getting out, or what?” Slate asked, arms crossed.

“Of course we are, just take a moment to marvel in the derelict’s radiance.” Hornfels gushed.

“You’re all a bunch of nerds, I’m gonna haul ass and get inside if you aren’t gonna do it.” Slate grumbled and opened the hatch.

The rest of them followed suit and jumped out, as with other ships as well, and flew over to the puncture in the side of the Vessel. Hornfels held onto the warp core with all their might as they drifted down the dark corridors of the ancient ship. Hal dragged Onyx behind them, using a rope as tether.

Just halfway down the hall was an open bay, a control room of sorts. The village took to it and glided over to the grand viewport. Several moments were spared to examine the ruins overall, noting the functions of certain controls and the like. Hornfels drifted over to Slate and handed them the warp core.

“I believe you should do the honors, Slate. You know this kind of stuff better than any of us.”

“I- uh, me? This is alien technology, how do I know what to do with it?” Slate stammered.

“Don’t give me any of that doubt, Slate. If you can reverse engineer a standard Nomaian warp core into a scout, then I bet you can handle the workings of an advanced warp core like this. I’m not letting you turn this down, not when we’re so close to escaping.” Hornfels said sternly.

“I’ll do my best, Horn, promise.” They patted them on the shoulder and flew off to the old circuit.

Swatting the old casing out of the way, Slate carefully slotted the powerful core into the port and switched it in. Gravity suddenly appeared and several bodies fell to the ground in response.

“Oof.” Slate exclaimed and looked around in confusion. “Y’all okay?”

“Yeah…” Hal scoffed, holding Onyx close.

“Okay, what next, what next…” They scanned around for any apparent clues and came upon a marble on the ground. They knelt down to examine it, watching how it glowed as they focused on it. With a turn of their head, the ball moved over to the right and slotted in place, bringing up a control panel.

They tapped their head and smiled, “See? Total genius!”

“Excellent, you’ll just need to put in the coordinates.” Hornfels guided.

“Yeah… What do they look like again?”

“Like this.” They handed Slate a paper slip with carefully scribbled symbols.

“That adds up.” Slate chuckled and moved the marble in connected lines.

“One.” Onto the next panel.

“Two.”

“Three… That’s it. That’s the code!” Slate quipped.

The block slid back down as they finished the input and all that remained was one last tube to activate. Slate took in a shaky breath, “Hold on, y’all. This is gonna be rough.”

And up the marble went.

* * *

A massive wave of darkness consumed the entirety of the Vessel and spat them out in bright blinding light. The light passed away and revealed an ominous, flashing planet in the background. Everyone stood still, no one dared to make a move, all but one however.

Onyx shuffled in Hal’s arms, making soft noises as they awoke.

“Huh- Where am I? Hal?” They said quietly.

Hal whipped their head to face Onyx, not even hesitating to remove both their helmets.

“Yeah, buddy, it’s me. You did it, Onyx, you saved us all.” Hal weeped, pressing their head against Onyx’s.

“I was- There was- Just death. All death, all the time. I was trapped in this constant loop, surrounded by bones of people I never knew. It was a nightmare I couldn’t escape.” They rasped.

Hal held them closer, “Everything’s fine now, we’re okay. Nobody died.”

They pulled away to look over Onyx, every part of them, and swooped in to kiss them. Onyx was taken aback at first, but soon reciprocated and pulled Hal closer.

“Wow, what a way to wake up. Damn, Hal.” Onyx teased as they pulled away.

Hal laughed nervously with a heavy blush. “Sorry about that, heat of the moment.”

“Okay, you two, enough smooching.” Slate snickered. “We’re not done yet.”

“Damn it, Slate. Read the room.” Onyx fussed.

“I did, and it told me that we have to go.” The engineer walked the marble over to the left slot. “Put your helmets back on, will ya? Spare yourself the embarrassment.”

Onyx rolled their eyes and begrudgingly obeyed. Hal pulled them up off the ground and helped them walk over to the black hole inviting them to wherever it wished to take them.

It warped them and the rest of the village onto the swirling purple planet of mystery.

“Y’all really got us to the Eye of the Universe, didn’t ya?” Onyx stood back and took it all in.

“All because of you.” Hal smirked and leaned on them.

“Can’t imagine how, but I can imagine how it will end.”

“Oh yeah, how’s that?”

“Let’s find out, together.”

As one, the Hearthians marched on down to the Eye’s south pole, past the quantum storm. Letting the light of Onyx’s flashlight guide the way, they braved the storm, and happened upon a great vortex in the sky.

“Is that- Is that our future?” Hal whispered.

“Hell if I know, but I’ve seen it before, well, I’ve seen its reflection.” Onyx informed.

“How’d that turn out?” Hal insisted, squeezing their hand.

“It took me home.”

“So this will take us home too?”

“Only if you want to.” Onyx affirmed.

“That sounds nice… Why not? Let’s go home.”

The band of Hearthians followed in Onyx’s wake as they dared to challenge the Eye’s pupil.

“Go on, we’ll be right behind you.” Hal enthused.

“Yeah, just making sure. See y’all later, I love you.”

“Love you, too.” Hal waved.

Pointing the signalscope towards the sky, Onyx stepped off the ledge and accepted their fate. With closed eyes, they dreamt of home, a world where everything was perfect and the people cared. And with one leap of faith, they willed this world into reality. A new world just for them.


End file.
